A/N: HEY!

Chapter Twenty

Abby lay there as the moans and howls started getting louder and louder. At first she was terrified but when a voice started saying "Help me, help me!" and chains started rattling somewhere within her room she had finally had enough. That creature out in the forest was scary but this was just ridiculous.

"Okay, I get it, try to scare the muggle. You can stop now." she said to the walls and sounds.

There was a pause and everything was quiet. The quiet made Abby begin to shiver again. Then the noises started again.

"Look, as scary as it was; now you're just wasting your time." She sat up and looked at where the sounds seemed to be coming from.

Something popped into the space beside her head through the wall and Abby screamed despite trying not to.

"Ha! You are still scared, muggle!" said the ghost of a little man with a devilish face. His wide transparent smile was inches away. Abby had never seen a ghost before. Dumbledore had warned her of them but had said that none could nor would harm her. Still seeing the little old transparent man was still disconcerting.

"Just surprised me that's all."

"I know you! You arrived with Snivellus Snape today." The ghost said in a nagging sing-song voice. "Woman shudder at the touch of him, student wince at the thought of him and man grimace at the sight of him."

"Do they now?"

The ghost pulled himself ramrod stiff and imitated Severus' "Indeed." Then he blew a rude raspberry and started bouncing off the walls.

After a while Abby asked him to stop but he didn't. Then he started to sing 'You loves Snivellus Snape, you lurves Snivellus Snape!' She denied it like a school girl and told him to stop pouncing off walls. When he didn't she started throwing things at him but he seemed to have taken that as an invitation to start a pillow fight.

After a while Abby lay on the bed exhausted and looked over at the ghost. He seemed to be wheezing and the thought of him being as tired as she was seemed really funny to her so she burst out laughing – it was better then tears.

She watched as the ghost looked at her with a confused look, his head cocked to the side like how a dog would if he didn't know what you were demanding but was trying hard to figure it out.

She watched as he shrugged and hit her in the face with the pillow.

"Hey!" she shrieked and threw it through him. "I wasn't ready." She sat up and let out a breath. "Can we call it a truce now? It's hardly fair if the pillow can't even touch you."

The ghost just stared at her and didn't move. Suddenly Abby's stomach rumbled and she said, "I wish I would have gone down for dinner."

Crack!

Abby swung around at the sound and stared down at a small creature in a sweater two times its size. It was a little over three feet tall, with large green eyes and large pointy ears and nose. It wrung it's large, long fingered hands into the hem of its maroon sweater and looked up at her with watery eyes.

"Dobby, will gets you something to eats if, you is hungry Ms Anderson." The creature looked from the mess on the floor over to the ghost who had started making more mess and his eyebrows furrowed and he pointed a long boney finger at him. "Peeves! Dobby will call the Bloody Baron and the Bloody Baron will punish you!"

The ghost froze with the television in its arms and glared at the little creature. He put the television down on the floor, stuck out his tongue at them and popped out of the room.

Abby just looked at the little creature, then at the light creak behind her she saw that everything – the television, the pillows, the clothes and lamps – were back in the places they had been before. She looked back at the little thing.

"I is Dobby, ma'am. Professor Snape has ordered that Dobby tend to your all wishes. Dobby is happy to do this. What would you likes to eat?" he gave her a bow so low that his nose touched the floor.

He seemed so courteous, despite the grammar. She extended a hand to him and said, "Abigail Anderson, you can call me Abby. Pleased to meet you, Dobby."

His huge eyes widened even more. He took her hand and burst into tears. "Never since Harry potter, his Weezey and Ermiony has anyone been so nice to Dobby." Abby didn't know who he was talking about. Then Dobby's eyes widened and he hit his head against the bed post, "And Headmaster Dumbledore, he is the bestest Wizard in the world."

She was about to stop him from continuing to hit himself when Crack and he was gone again.

Crack and he was back again with a large tray of a wide range of foods and goblets. He placed this on the floor in front of where she sat and bowed again.

"Dobby be going now then, to let you eat in peace." He turned.

"Wait, are you busy? Could you stay for a while incase that ghost comes back?" Abby reached for a sandwich as she watched him slowly turn back to her with the saddest look on his face.

"Oh, I mean…if you don't want to you don't have to."

"No! Dobby is happy. Winky says that Dobby is such a Fairy when it comes to his emotions. Dobby will stay until you want him to leave." He looked so determined Abby wondered what she had really asked him to do. "And Dobby will speak to the Bloody Baron for true. Peeves is a very naughty poltergeist."

"So…if you don't mind me asking," She took a bite of her sandwich, "what exactly are you?"

Dobby nodded and looked thoughtful. "Dobby heard tell that Ms Anderson is a Muggle. Dobby is a house-elf, Ms Anderson." He said proudly, puffing out his chest.

"A house-elf?" she asked, "Oh, and call me Abby, everyone does."

"Us house-elves are bought or sold to Wizarding families to serve for rest of our lives. Dobby to have been house-elf to a family for many years but Harry Potter is saving Dobby from his family and now Dobby worked for Headmaster Dumbledore for compensation."

"Bought and serve? That's awful." Abby said looking down at the little creature.

"Yes." Dobby said sadly, "It is good when we have good families but many have very very bad families to work for. Dobby had too been with a very bad family." It looked as though it had cost him a lot to say that and she was worried that he would hit himself again.

"Are there many of your kind?"

"Oh, yes, Ms Anderson. Many are free and work for Headmaster Dumbledore but still many have to stay with their families. If you is wanting to, Dobby can take you one day to the kitchens to be seeing the other House-elves."

"That would be great." She said then asked, "You said earlier that Severus told you to watch out for me?" Abby asked.

"Yes, Professor Snape wants you to have nothing but comforts while you is staying here." He puffed out his chest again, "Professor Snape is saying Dobby will do, and it is good that he has picked Dobby not of Winky." He leaned in closer to Abby and whispered, "Winky do nothing but whine and moan, she is not respected house-elf, not good at all. Does not listen to orders given by Wizards anymore."

Abby tried to follow everything he was saying but smiled and nodded.

"So if you is needing anything, anything, all you is having to do is ask for him to come and Dobby is ready to do everything."

"That's really nice. I could use company now and again."

"Dobby can find you company, anyones you want." He smiled brightly.

She smiled to and a thought came to mind. "Dobby what time is it?"

"Twelve past midnight, Ms Anderson."

"Do you know where Severus' room is?" she watched his eyes widen and fear come into them.

"Professor Snape has his quarters in the dungeons. No one is ever been down there but the Headmaster."

"So you don't know where it is?" Abby sighed.

"Dobby knows all rooms of castle. But Professor Snape does not let anyone or Dobby into his quarters."

"Well could you just show me where it is?" she prompted.

Professor Snape will be angry with Dobby," He looked like he was about to cry and Abby was about to tell him to never mind when he continued, "but Professor Snape is telling Dobby to do anything Ms Anderson is saying." He looked so torn.

"He won't be mad if I told him I wanted you to show me." Abby ensured him.

The little house-elf looked determined again, "Dobby will take you to Professor Snape's quarters. But it is too far to walk at this time of night."

Abby was about to ask how they would get there then when the little creature took her hand and Crack she felt something pulling her from behind as everything around them fell away and it was pitch black for a moment.

A second later and another Crack and Abby fell to the floor in a pitch black room.

"Dobby isn't looking, Dobby isn't looking!" The elf said in a pleading voice at her side and Crack he was gone.

The room was still dark but she could feel someone watching her.

"Abby?" it was Severus' voice. It didn't sound as if he had been sleeping.

"Um, I'm sorry. I know it's late….am I bothering you?"

She was met by silence but then she heard soft foot steps right by her. She gasped as his arms wrapped around her shoulders and he helped her up.

"Lumos." Snape said and the wand on his bedside table lit up the room slightly.

"Did we wake you?" she asked looking down at his black shirt and pants.

Snape just looked at her and asked, "What's wrong?"

This wasn't what she had expected when she had decided to come to him. But what did she expect?

"I…" she swallowed and raked her brain, "I wanted to know what those horse things in the Forest are." She sighed inwardly.

Snape watched her chest rise and fall. "Indeed."

Snape looked down at Abby's upturned face. Her hair was in a high ponytail but looked ruffled and horrible, its blonde tresses dangling down her shoulders and face. She wore nothing but a pair of blue shorts and a white shirt. He pulled her over to an armchair and pushed her down into it, rubbing his hand against her back to see if she was indeed also not wearing a bra. She wasn't - he groaned, his body coming alive. He hated this constant need for her.

"That is not why you have come to me this late at night." He told her.

Abby turned slightly to look up at him. His face was unreadable – but when had it ever been readable? His eyes where hooded in the soft wand light, his hands crossed over his chest, his features bored.

"I…" she didn't like him when he was like this, "I didn't know I needed a reason to want to see you."

"Miss Anderson, some people -"

"No." she cut in, "I'm not letting you change personalities on me when ever you want." She walked to the door, opened it, "I was terrified and alone, but I guess I'll be fine." And she stepped into the room and closed the door behind her.

It was a bathroom.

"Shit." Abby frowned, "Ugh, I need you Dobby."

Crack.

"You is needing Dobby, Ms?" he looked so pleased.

"Could you take me back to my room?"

Dobby nodded and raised a hand to her. She took it as the door swung open behind her. Severus caught her eye and she saw that there was something in his eyes again. Crack she was on the floor in her modern room.

"Dobby, I think I will go to sleep now." she told the elf and as she turned to look down at him Crack he was already gone.

Snape lay on his bed and stared at the darkness above him. She had said she was terrified. Why didn't he go after her? It's better this way. She had looked so good, his body was still calling to hers. Was she mad at him? She didn't look particularly mad, but she should have been. She probably was.

Snape turned on his side. She had seen Thestrals, was it because she had seen her mother or father die? Did she say that she actually watched them die?

He turned back on his back and sat up. Was she up there now, scared and alone? He liked the loneliness, but she didn't deserve to be alone – especially since she didn't want it.

Abby heard something like a wave crashing coming from the fireplace. She sighed and said without turning, "Peeves, I really am tired of your little games. Don't make me call Dobby to get the Bloody Baron."

Snape walked over to her bed and sat down. She turned so quickly she hit his side and she gasped. Before she could say anything to him he lay down next to her under the sheets and pulled her into his arms.

Abby felt him press a kiss to her hair and wrapped her arms around him.

Snape knew he shouldn't be here. The more he was around her the more he wanted to be around her, but he shouldn't be around her. Maybe he could just stay for this one last night.

A/N: the reviews are slacking...i see that people are reading but......they aren't leaving me anything

you know some might find that as being rude. i know i sure do!

i always try to leave a review when i read someone's fic....wana know why...??

cuz i am not rude......... "(

anyway more to come!